Chinese-Style Chicken Lettuce Wraps

To me, the ideal summer meal comes together relatively quickly without turning on the oven. These chicken lettuce wraps are just that; the most labor-intensive part is in chopping all the fresh produce, and then it cooks up in less than 15 minutes on the stovetop. It’s a wonderful family dinner or summer party finger food. I love the vibrant colors and flavors here, especially the kick of ginger and sweet hoisin sauce and the subtle notes of orange. Some lightly sautéed bell pepper and crushed peanuts give it some lovely crunch. I use romaine lettuce as I think it stands up better than traditional iceberg to hold all that delicious filling inside and to me has more flavor. Make these fresh & vibrant chicken lettuce wraps and you won’t ever crave the Chinese restaurant ones again!

Weeknight Italian Sausage and Pepper Tortiglioni

This is less a recipe and more a simple meal plan to get dinner on the table on a given busy weeknight. Italian sausage, sweet bell peppers, and a simple tomato ragu come together to create a hearty and delicious pasta dish that’s ready in 20 minutes.

Summer Lentils with Fennel, Lemon & Basil

Lentils may make the best hearty soup for a winter’s day, but it’s also pretty easy to give lentils a summer makeover that’s refreshing and flavorful, perfect for a warm August evening. To me, fennel brings out a vibrant taste in the lentils, and a lemon spritz and fresh basil give them another zing of flavor.